Pick the Right Roast Every Time

Hey, Calgary coffee fans. If you’ve ever stared at a shelf full of beans and wondered what’s what, you’re not alone. Picking coffee can feel tricky. But it doesn’t have to.

Whether you’re wandering through Kensington Calgary coffee spots or just grabbing beans for home, here’s what to know.

Light, Medium, or Dark: What’s the Difference?

The roast changes everything; flavour, body, aroma.

  • Light Roast: Pale brown, no oils. Bright, fruity, sometimes floral. You’ll notice acidity and more of the bean’s natural notes. Great if you like delicate, complex coffee.
  • Medium Roast: Brown, smooth body. Balanced, some brightness (much less than the light roast), some roundness. Classic everyday coffee.
  • Dark Roast: Dark brown, shiny oils. Bold, chocolatey, sometimes smoky. The roast dominates the flavour. Perfect for espresso shots, or if you like milk to complement your coffee.

Choosing the Right Beans for Your Taste

Not all beans are created equal. Here’s what to think about:

  • Origin Matters: Ethiopian beans can be bright and fruity. Colombian beans are often sweet and nutty. Guatemalan beans lean chocolatey and spicy.
  • Variety: Most specialty coffee is Arabica, sweet and complex. Robusta is stronger and more bitter.
  • Processing: Washed (clean, bright), natural (bold, fruity), honey (sweet, smooth). Each affects taste differently.
The fanciest coffee bean there is - Jamaica Blue Mountain.

theroasterie.com

Jamaican Blue Mountain

$110.00 CAD
$110.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
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Coffee Varieties You Should Know

Coffee isn’t just roast and origin.
The plant itself matters:

  • Bourbon: Sweet, smooth, often chocolatey or fruity. Is this up to your alley? Try our Colombia Pink Bourbon, or El Salvador, Guatemala Antigua and many more.
  • Typica: Classic, balanced flavour, medium body. Try typica beans; Sumatra Mandheling, Sulawesi Toraja or Panama.
  • Peaberry: not a variety, but we just have to mention it, single, round bean. Often sweeter and more concentrated. We offer Dark Cuban and Medium Tanzanian Peaberry, both crowd favourites.
  • Geisha: Extremely delicate and aromatic. We have Costa Rican Geisha and Colombia Huila Geisha, top-tier coffee for fans of refined flavours.

Knowing the variety helps you predict flavour and match it to your taste.

Our Medium Roasts

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Coffee Grinding: Match Your Brew

Here’s a big one, grind matters. A lot of folks come in with beans but get frustrated with their machine.

  • Coarse: French press or cold brew. Water moves slowly; coarse particles extract evenly.
  • Medium: Drip or pour-over. Balanced extraction, smooth taste.
  • Fine: Espresso. Fast water flow, high pressure needs fine grind to taste right.
  • Extra fine: Turkish coffee. Almost powdery.

Pro tip: If can, buy the coffee as whole beans. Grinding fresh keeps flavours alive. Match grind to your machine for the best results

Freshly Roasted Coffee Tastes Better

We roast daily, in small batches. That means every bag you grab is fresh.

  • Coffee is at its peak when you get it from us.
  • Grind just before brewing and store in a room temperature, dark spot. (Avoid direct sunlight).

Fresh beans = vibrant flavour. That’s all there is to it.

Direct Connections to Coffee Farms

One of the coolest parts of coffee? The people behind it.

Our roasterie has direct connections with the farms we buy from:

Costa Rican: Our El Jefe visited the farm, met employees, saw how they work, learned about their daily routines and challenges.

Jamaica Blue Mountain: He spent hours talking to owner, understanding the flow, met their emplyees, the care, the ethics behind every bean.

Knowing the farmers personally isn’t just a story. It helps us pick the best beans and respect the work behind them. You learn about their workflow, the care they put in, and the challenges they face. That connection is far more valuable than seeing trendy certifications, they can make great marketing, but nothing replaces knowing the people and the coffee firsthand.

With each cup, you know you’re drinking the finest coffee, grown and handled with integrity.

Practical Tips for Your Brew

No matter your method, pour-over, French press, or espresso, these tips help you pick right:

  1. Match roast to brew: Light roast shines in pour-over. Medium works anywhere. Dark roast rules espresso or milk-based drinks.
  2. Check aroma: Fruity, nutty, chocolaty? That’s your first clue.
  3. Ask questions: Roasters and Baristas love to guide you. Taste first if you can.

Fresh, carefully roasted beans make all the difference. In fact, you can try them before you decide which to buy. Pick a bean, and we can press it in an Aeropress so you get a taste of exactly what you’re about to take home. Once you sip, you’ll understand why coffee lovers go on and on about “fresh beans.”

Quick takeaway: Start simple, match roast and grind to your taste and machine, and enjoy the story behind the beans. With a little practice, you’ll know your coffee like a pro.

Out of the roaster - dark Sumatra coffee beans.

theroasterie.com

Dark Sumatra

$22.50 CAD
$22.50 CAD
Sale Sold out
View full details